SPRINGTIME IN GERMANY-Minden 6: Berlin:The Edible Tea in Minden, Freedom in Berlin

In late December, I received a coy question in the interesting and kept the trip Quite short. Arriving at 6 subject field of an e-mail message from the Netmails in a.m. in Franlrfurt on 3 1 March to a silent but smoky Minden: April I in Minden? Well, it was an invitation airport (they have smoking stations fiom station to to come to Minden to celebrate the Edible Book Tea station in the Frankfurt Airport, where three standing- with a group of senior citizens, who would bake up a room-only circular tables are available for storm and make the trip really worthwhile. What smokers-little do they realize that their smoke followed was the fact that they were raising money for penetrates the air and secondary smoke is tough to a plane ticket for me, asking about dates, times, and take, believe me! The one wonderful thing about what else I wanted to do in Germany for the rest of the Frankfiut is that they whiz you in, welcoming you to week. It seemed all like a dream-until we finally Europe without any di£Eculty. Then you can pick up talked, got faxes back and forth, as well as e-mails-and a cup of coffee, or pick up any paper that your heart the ticket really arrived before I left for desires free of charge to read in the am. such as the RutgedCamden to install "Women of the Book: International Herald Tnheor Financial News or the Jewish Artists, Jewish Themes". Wall Street Journal. Just amazing to get free The installation at Rutgers went so smoothly, thanks newspapers and sit down and wait with something to to Nancy -re, the chief curator and jill-of-all- do at 6 am. trades genius that although it was 6 long days, it was worth it. The opening went well, the 2 hour and 45 MINDEN minute tour through the show on a very wet night Upon arriving in Hannover, my friend Peter proved to hold my audience, and by Wednesday the Kuestermann (aka New)was waiting for me with 30&,I was ready to get to Newark and get on Lufthansa sunshine-glorious warm sunshine. We went to the to Fmnkfurt and Hannover. man-made lake in Hannover and had lunch and he Newark Airport via the Aiirrain is a dream-it feels immediately began to take photos with his digital as thought you were in a futuristic airport, arriving by camera. We returned to the milroad station to take the a train that runs in the sky to your destination which is train to Minden, the home of Melitta coffee, a town glass-enclosed. After taking so many buses to the created by Charlemagne in 800 A.D. Upon arrival, I airport, this truly was a novelty. I checked in and was whisked off to the five-star hotel where I would be waited, as usual, for Newark is an easy transit portal, staying for the rest of my Minden stay. I showered and not like Los Angeles. (We go through security in Los changed and off we went to meet all the people Angeles via fear and trembling, because it has taken so responsible for my beiiin Germany, besides of course long in line to arrive at just the TSA security check!) Peter and Angela, my hosts, who certainly know how Anyway, I sat down and noticed a group of Chassidic to work the crowd and the town. I met the travel agent Jews gathering in the next alcove to pray the afternoon who made it possible for me to have the Lufthama prayer, I guessed. Bowing back and forth like dancers ticket which would allow me to leave from Berlin back choreographed in black moving back and forth, while to Newark and eventually Rutgers. I met the doctor German citizens were taking pictures of their (who must have been 67" tall who had an exhibit of Lufthansa airplane on their way back home. What a the covers of Umbrella on his waiting room wall; then strange and wonderful beginning to a week packed full I met the photo shop owner who turns historic photos of activities, adventures and fr-iendships. into digital printouts-and he gave me two wonderful Next to me on the plane was Ralph, a 79-year-old photos of this beautifid half-timbered town. Later in widower, tall and stately, a world traveler who worked the day a coffee in front of the hotel with a look at the for Goodrich, Mobil, American Express in West beautiful square with wonderful medieval buildings Africa, Bahrain, the United Kingdom. A former Navy which were part of the heritage of this quiet but busy Lieutenant Commander, he was going to visit with old 80,000-population mecca We went down to the colleagues throughout Europe. Our conversationswere Church, which is the headquarters of the Buz Art Center in the Johannis Church, to see the preparations who presentedthe umbrella to me gave a talk about the for the "Essbare Bucher" or Edible Book Tea which history of the book as well as the Umbrella Musew in was to take place on 1 April. Many books had come Italy (near Lago Maggiore) which she had visited with in, and the elaborate madpan fkosthgs and ingenious her daughter with which she was so impressed. Photos designs led me to believe that this would be a were taken and then coffee was served to go along with mnarbble event. We also stopped at a rubberstamp eating the books-some of which were hardly touched shop, which also has classes and workshops, and it is because of their beauty-and then we retired for an hour so successll that the owner, a young woman, is of readings £ram books of prose and poetry about food opening another shop in another part of town. by the writers of all ages in the community. We ate dinner in the Senior Citizens home, Then we went to the great hall, which was decorated N&m-Maus, where we finally met up with Angela with upside down umbrellas hanging from the ceiling, Pahler (the other half of the Nelmails), an old friend as well as a projection of our edible books having been hmwhen Peter and Angela circled the world photographed by Herbert Schmidt on his digital delivering mail art to artists throughout the globe and camera and then put online to be linked with the made the Guinness Book of Records, too. We then boohaeat website. All 42 books had been shot and took a walk to the Old Mill, which is still operating transposed to the computer and we were sending them where buckwheat flour is ground in a water-driven to Beatri05 Coron, our webmaster, to be first in line for stone mill and there is a caf16,and those buckwheat the FMiiIe Tea events all aver the world. I was pancakes were so delicious, remarkably Eresh and light interviewed in front of this awe-inspiring audience that I knew this would be quite a wonderful time. about the event, my history and my impressions of Minden. Then Helmut Annefeld, who was teaching APRIL FlRST computers to the seniors, and I communicated with The morning was glistening, breakfast was abundant New York, probably too early for Beatrice to have the as German break&st always art and it was the best message immediately, to tell her we were sending her muesli I have ever eaten. Then we walked around the the photos of the event. millto see the green everywhere(spring was begianing At the hotel, an ingenious event had been to bud) and saw the dragon boats from Macao which announced, i.e. that I would be "signing umbrellas" for are used for races on the river in July). We saw anyone who would bring me umbrellas that evening. Minden with its half-timbered houses, the details of And so Angela came with a quiver N1 of umbrellas architecturey Joki places (a hous mail artist who which were designated for my signature. She had passed away), including his fhctoq where he made art, selected the proper pens which were permanent and to an interview at Nussbaum-Haus with Sonia Rudolf non-smudging and I began to "sign umbrellas" for the of the Mindener Tageblatt,who asked many pertinent first time in my life. The hotel manager also presented questions about the Edible Tea, why books?, etc. for me with three or four different colored umbrellas to the newspaper. We went down to the Senior Center represent the different political parties that meet in the where 42 books had been made of matzipan, hotel for events, which I signed as well. . Angela had pumpernickel and cheese, chocolate and so much also made a rubberstamp in the shape of an umbrella more. "Swan Lake" was made of green Jello for the which said that "This Umbrella was signed by Judith water, creampuffs in the shape of swans with whipped A. Hoflberg in Minden, Germany on 1 April 2005. cream in the body of the swans. We also were being Just amazing! Meanwhile, all of this was being videotaped by WDR in Minden for TV that evening, a documented by Peter. In addition, the program on TV current events program from Minden, at 7:30. came on and we all stopped to see our 3 minutes Everyone was coming in with books, looking and (Warhol wanted us to have 15) on the news broadcast, asking questions, oohing and aahing. My gends with voice over me in German. Then we sat down to Klaus and Hanni Groh had arrived from Edewecht an amazing banquet at the hotel with all people with their contribution (a take-off on something responsible for the event as well as fiiends and family. Goethe had written about books, but this time Klaus And a good time was had by all! put in something about "edible books"). There was a Of course, this was the week the Pope was very presentation to me of a big red umbrella which had sick-and dying, in fhct. So I was sharing headlines been used to celebrate the 1200& anniversary of with the Pope in the town of Minden. A flea market on Minden in 2000-they had found this last umbrella to Saturday gave me a chance to find a few things for the give me-and the 8 1-year-young woman from the city Umbrella Museum, especially thanks to Angela, who found one delightful handpainted object, and I found returned to the hotel to pack-saddened by the fix$that four small Thai handpainted umbrellas. The flea I would have to leave Minden. market took place in the plaza in front of the church, BERLIN and there Peter had street markers set up for all his Of€to the train station with Peter after breakfast and visiting mail artist friends. The editor of a slick Christa and Renate came to wave goodbye. I loved the magazine in Minden came to take a photo of my Mtyin the train station where you can put your signing my marker saying that I lived 9,528 km. far suitcase on the ramp at the botfom of the stairs and it from Minden. While waiting for the photo, I sat down goes aIl the way up to the top to meet you when you next to a Cavellini sticker, dear to the hearts of all mail climb the stairs-or vice-versa. Trains run on time, artists, and Peter took a photo. We than went by car wheeled baskets are available to carry your luggage, with Elsa Deutschendorf, Angela, Peter and I to the and the rolling ramp carries your luggage up or down! mountains around Minden where we took a walk I ran downstairs and bought an International Herald among the spring wild flowers to the foundation of a Tribune in Fmand arrived comfortably in Berlin 1000 A.D. Saxon church which had been discovered in a different kind of train station than 1988. It was by archaeologists, who uncovered not only the new, bright and clean and I walked out onto a foundations but also 3 graves of a mother and two shimmering city which was bathing in very warm children, and then the city took precautions to protect sunshine. It was in the 70s at least-and spring had it by putting a glass covering over the whole site. It burgeoned into a warm summery day. I stayed at a was astounding and historic and a great Saturday studio, where my friends Klaus and Hanni Groh came afternoon, where we went to the local hotel where we to pick me up and we went to walk under the had apfeltarte and tea, and hoped to see hang-gliding, Brandenburg Gate and to explore (for me) a- city of but there was not enough wind.. What a wonderful Berlin. Albert Einstein's words were staring at afternoon. everyone above most large buildings (and there are That evening, I walked down to the church to attend many large buildings on Unter der Linden), as well as improvisational theater, and Peter translated for me university buildings too. Many universities have been during the pieces. Then we walked by the Cathedral, building all around the Brandenburg Gate. What a where they were preparing the altar-and we kind of thrill to walk toward the Brandenburg Gate without knew the Pope must have died but I rushed back to my having the Volkspolizei running after us (as they did hotel room to find out that indeed he had passed away in 1988) and rabbits coming up from their holes and a that evening. The next morning, the Cathedral was gloom all around Instead we saw the remnants ofthe full but not for the Pope, but instead for confirmation wall set into the road around the Gate and we walked by all these little boys and girls in all their finery, with blyunder the gate to many buildings (embassies) the parents videotaping the mass. The bells rang for a such as the Russian Embassy which is gated, closed half-hour-morning and afternoon. The four days in and cleaned up. We headed toward Berlin Minden gave me four days of the Pope on CNN Guggenheim where there was a show of Jackson Worl&the three days in Berlin gave me three days of Pollock's Works on Paper. Then we headed for a caft! the Pope on BBC World. There was no other for a bite and listening to astoundingly wonderN news-and so the world went. Russian musicians (a violinist that was superb, an That afternoon we went to a rebuilt windmill that accordionist and a guitarist) who played as a trio. We was fully operational, which ground grain, to a looked at all the cathedrals, the ugly DDR building historical tour of the mill by a young man. Then we which is an eyesore on the horizon, and then had a late went to the Wesphalian Industrial Museum and lunch outside near the river. As we walked back, we Gernheim Glass Works where they was an exhibition realized there are too many office buildings and not of Child Labor, as well as a glass blowing enough lowcost housing. demonstration. A pizza party ended Sunday evening's Across from the U.S. Embassy being built by the events with Renata Kruse, the head of the Senior architects who have their office on my street in Santa Citizen activities who believed that the Edible Book Monica was the almost done Memorial to the Tea would be wonderful for the Seniors and show the Murdered Jews of Europe, designed by Peter other centers in Germany that something innovative Eisenman. Alas, I could not enter to feel the could produce remarkable results-and in so doing, I possibilities of the memorial, but from architectural understand that in six months the children will be critics, I understand that one must walk through the involved in doing an edible book tea in Minden. I 2,711 concrete pillars to feel, the scope of the Holocaust's horrors. Alas, it seemed like an endless Steiner and many more creative people have lived and rippling unavoidable abstraction of horror. Then off are still living. to dinner with Emmett Williams and his wife, Ann The next day I went with a Worniafiiend who has Noel. Emmett was celebrating his "reai" 80~birthday been living in Berlin for 20 years. We saw that day and we had dinner together. What a treat, contemporary architecture and then went on Bus 100, since Emmett is one ofthe most distinguished Fluxus which is a normal everyday bus but has a wonderful artists and although I could not stay for the "official mute to take you all around the city for a modest bus party" on the Srnof April, we had a fine time. fare and you can see the layout of Berlin in all its The weather changed the next day and I wended my beauty. At Alexanderplatz, we got off and were in the way by train to the Jewish Museum, after walking Jewish section. We visited the Synagogue and walked around "East Berlin" with monuments to Checkpoint up to the Dome and walked inside the dome, giving us Charlie and those Germans who died in trying to an incredible view of the city. In the neighborhood escape to the West, and the Checkpoint Charlie were lots of crafts people, cutting edge shops and a Museum now full ofstudentswho make field trips here feeling of Greenwich village. The Cultural Center is and to the Jewish Museum. On the train, I saw a black now rebuilt as it was in 1933 and with blue and white child speaking perf-German. The diversity of the tile lining its facade there was an art cinema, population is manifest everywhere. Berlin is boutiques, a bookshop and people living above these international. commercial shops. We had a wonderful evening and The Jewish Museum is a Beaux Arts building (the the next day it rained, as I left for the airport. This original one) next to the Liebeskind building, which was not a "cultural" visit, but one to feel Berlin, to see would have been wonderful empty and devoid of friends and to realize the difference in a city that is people, but it was full of many classes and groups of buzzing with energy and activity-especially since 1988 people from Rome, other parts of Europe and tourists. when I saw it last I cannot telI you what I felt in the empty rooms-just I returned to a New York City, whose subway what the architect wanted me to feel-a chill, an awe, a system leaves much to be desired after the perfection of fear. It was shattering. But downstah the multimedia Berlin. But I did attend a wonderful Bookfest, center attracted me so much and I sat and read and saw organized by Ed Hutchins, in a wonderful venue with all the lives of those who were willing to share with the a gorgeous New York City sunset-so I cannot world-the archive is vast, including Leo Baeck complain. I met many of my old &-friends who archives and so much more. Multimedia is pleasant to still make wonderfbl books and enjoyed a great beet research, since there are cubicles all through the as well. I recommend Bookfest highly, not only for the oblique halls of downstairs. I learned a lot about Coco venue of the library of the Borough of Manhattan Schumann, a jazz guitarist who survived Auschwitz Community College, which I hope will continue, but with his Ghetto Five, a quintet which played at for the wonderfid experienceof meeting thevery artists Auschwitz. His story has been made into two films who make the bookworks and who can sell them to and I could see vignettes of both films. I saw all the you. How many gift ideas were solved by coming to exhibits and it amplified a great deal of information Bookfest! And the most touching of all experiences that is in exhibition I have curated, Women of the was to meet my friend, Ambar Past, again who had Book. And the postcards in the bookshop were launched "Incantations" which took 150 Mayan wonderlid, including some with umbrellas. The women from Taller Lenateros 30 years to create. She weather was changing as I emerged from the museum was so excited to show us the video, which I bought, of after seeing a stunning exhiiit of Jewish buildings by the making of the bookwork, and to share this weirdly Jewish architects upstairs including Frank Gehry. I beautiful volume with us. That was indeed a treat! went over to Torstrasse and saw a great many small Springthe in Germany-hurrah-what a great galleries with cutting edge art. Some were opened week-and a wonderful way to see how the Edible only two days a week, others were open for business Book Tea can travel well in any clime, to any from Tuesday - Saturday. Then I went over to see location, and with "&"of any age Thankyou, Barbara Wiens and her bookshop where artist books Peter and Angela, for making April I* an have been sold for many years. She now has a unforgettable experience, as well as Renate, Jutta, mezzanine and gallery mom which allows her to put Elsa, Marco, Helm@, Christa, Sonja, Carsten, on small exhibitions. Had fun with a friend that night Werner, Karin, Thomas and Conrad in an area where Christopher Isherwood, Rudolph